iPad mini 2 release date tipped for March

Just months after the first iPad mini hit retailers, new reports have suggested Apple is planning an iPad mini 2 release date as early as March.

Creating just a six month product cycle for its first 7-inch tablet, industry analysts have predicted that a March iPad mini 2 release is on the cards, with the Cupertino based company set to bring a number of revisions, including the much sought-after Retina display, into the mix.

Seemingly set to cut short its typical 12 month product cycles in order to fend off rising competition from Android supporting devices such as the Google Nexus 7, latest reports have suggested that Apple will respond to the expected raft of MWC 2013 unveiled tablets with its first update to the iPad mini line in just a matter of weeks. What’s more, it is believed that the iPad mini 2 release will coincide with the arrival of the iPad 5, sporting an all new design form factor compared with the current iPad 4.

“Our checks at CES indicate Apple will release the iPad 5 and the second-generation iPad mini this March,” industry analyst with Topeka Capital Markets, Brian White has said. “The iPad 5 is expected to be lighter and thinner than the iPad 4 that was released in October, while the form factor of the iPad mini should be similar to the first generation iPad mini that debuted in October.”

iPad mini 2 RumoursFar from the first time iPad mini 2 rumours have circulated, recent reports have suggested that a second-generation of Apple’s 7.9-inch tablet model will land hot on the heels of its predecessor, with an iPad 4 and iPhone 5 style Retina display the most widely expected addition.

Whilst it is believed that the iPad mini 2 will feature a specs jump in the form of a faster processor and a possible update to the tablet’s camera optics, an iPad mini 2 Retina display addition has been the focus of a number of iPad mini 2 rumours.

“Apple will be using Sharp’s IGZO technology in the second-generation iPad mini, which will allow the tablet’s display to be thinner and more power efficient while still maintaining excellent colour and brightness,” insider Apple tipsters recently declared.

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Should Apple be launching an iPad mini 2 so shortly after the arrival of the first-generation model or is it simply punishing early adopters? Share your thoughts on the matter and let us know what iPad mini 2 features you would like to see via the Trusted Reviews Twitter and Facebook feeds or through the comment boxes below.